Artwork Description

Title: Flowers and Birds
Artist: Mo Xiong
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 53.5 x 26.8 in (136 x 68 cm)

Artwork Identification
This vibrant ink and watercolor painting on paper by acclaimed contemporary Chinese artist Mo Xiong, Title:d Flowers and Birds, exemplifies the artist's masterful command of brush and color. Dominated by a lush vertical composition, the work features a profusion of multicolored flora intertwined with a delicately rendered bird in flight, rising from a dense cluster of vegetation. The interplay of light washes, controlled ink strokes, and expressive splatters creates a dynamic surface filled with movement and vitality.

Artistic Style and Influences
Mo Xiong’s distinctive synthesis of Eastern and Western painterly traditions is fully evident in this composition. While the subject—a harmonious coexistence of birds and blooms—draws deeply from the Chinese literati tradition, the exuberant application of color, gestural ink work, and layered tonal contrasts reveal the influence of Western modernist and post-impressionist techniques. This confluence yields a style that is both rooted in tradition and strikingly contemporary.

Historical Context
Executed during a period of increasing cross-cultural dialogue in Chinese art, this work reflects the broader mid-to-late 20th-century trend wherein Chinese artists began engaging more openly with international aesthetic vocabularies. Mo Xiong, a 1986 graduate of Nanjing University of the Arts and longtime faculty member there, was at the forefront of this intellectual and stylistic shift, fostering the development of a hybrid visual language that resonated with both national heritage and global modernism.

Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
Light creasing is present in the upper register of the work, consistent with its material and medium. Otherwise, the artwork is in very good condition with vibrant pigments and no visible surface loss. The paper is structurally stable and retains its integrity.

Artistic Significance
Mo Xiong is recognized as a pivotal figure in the evolution of contemporary Chinese painting. His status as a Member of the China Artists Association and a Distinguished Teacher at Nanjing University of the Arts underscores his importance as both practitioner and pedagogue. Flowers and Birds exemplifies his signature ability to blend lyrical naturalism with expressive colorism, securing his place as a respected voice in the dialogue between classical Chinese and modern global art. Works like this are increasingly valued among collectors seeking culturally resonant and aesthetically dynamic pieces.